Unlike purely malicious villains, Fries is portrayed as a tragic figure driven by a desperate need to find a way to freeze and eventually cure his terminally ill wife, Nora .
Reviewers at The Geekiary noted that the episode successfully balanced Fries' sympathetic backstory with the darker, "uneven tones" typical of the series. Gotham 2x12
The episode also introduces Dr. Hugo Strange at Arkham Asylum, played by B.D. Wong, who begins his own dark experiments. Unlike purely malicious villains, Fries is portrayed as